His look said it all. The paintball game and these people stood in our way of being real. He gave me a tiny grin before disappearing into the woods with his paintball rifle. I suspected he planned to get shot five minutes into the game. As much as I hated the pain being shot, I wanted to finish up the match quickly and meet him on the top deck.
Vaughn decided to stick Judd with Dylan. This was meant to be a punishment for one of them, but I wasn’t sure which. I was stuck with Vaughn who sniffed me and asked if I’d been marked by my killer boytoy. Shoving him away from me, we were too busy tormenting each other to realize we’d walked straight into the twins’ hiding spot.
Seeing my chance to get knocked out early, I stepped in front of Vaughn as the twins fired. I took one in the stomach and another in the shoulder.
“Fucking shit!” I screamed, not caring if I seemed weak. That shit hurt!
Vaughn ran for cover behind a tree. He gave me an “attagirl” nod before disappearing into the woods. The twins hesitated, looking slightly terrified.
“We were aiming for him,” Camden said. “If we’d been aiming for you, it’d be in the leg like Saint instructed.”
Slinging the gun over my shoulder, I rolled my eyes. “If I were you, I’d worry more about Cooper’s guys than what Saint will do to you.”
The twins barely missed being nailed by Vaughn’s shots. They fled into the woods and the game continued while I walked back to the deck.
Sawyer and Jace sat up on the deck with their legs dangling off the edge. She appeared to be talking or maybe just chewing wildly on gum. Jace was silent as usual, staring at the woods. He caught sight of me and did that male trick of evaluating me from my toes to the top of the head. How did an eleven-year-old boy manage to make me feel small?
“You got shot,” he said, trying not to laugh.
“Yeah, I suspected that much from the pain.”
Sawyer spit out a chunk of gum nearly the size of her hand. “Does it hurt? I want to get shot with a paintball gun, but Pop says no.”
“You’d cry,” Jace said, swinging his legs. “I hate when girls cry.”
“You’d cry, dumbass.”
Rolling my eyes at their sibling-like bickering, I sat at the picnic table on the lower level. I couldn't play tough with my shoulder killing me. The pain drawing tears, I didn’t want anyone knowing I was crying. Jace especially would have none of my blubbering.
Removing my vest, I fanned myself in the early summer heat. The day was mild out in the open, but the woods were muggy. I imagined Saint in the heat and smiled. He looked so unbelievably sexy sweaty.
“How did you get shot so fast?” Sawyer asked, coming down the stairwell with Jace close behind. “Did you mess up?”
“Yeah, but I blame Vaughn.”
“Good,” she said, joining me at the table. “Boys are stupid.”
Jace narrowed his eyes, saying nothing.
“Shouldn’t you be at school?” I asked Sawyer.
“Got booted after I didn’t take any guff from a stupid third grade bully.”
“You got expelled for one fight?”
Jace snorted, yet remained silent. Sawyer glared at him.
“I don’t take guff from anyone. Not the big kids or the little kids or the teachers and especially not from that loser lady in the cafeteria who said I couldn’t sit where I wanted. I just don’t take guff.”
“I see that,” I said, grinning at my brother. “So you’re homeschooled now?”
“Yeah. Turns out I do good with Mom and Pop teaching me. I’ll take guff from them like no one else.”
Studying my shoulder where a welt swelled nice and ugly, I knew a dip in the hot tub would help. Not here though. I wasn’t stripping down in front of so many people especially not Lenny who came stomping out of the woods.
“He smells,” Sawyer said, shoving fresh gum into her mouth. “Sometimes like BO and sometimes like old turds sitting in the sun.”
Jace showed no reaction. Guys like Lenny scared him. I didn’t blame him. Guys like Lenny killed our old families.
Spitting on the ground, Lenny grunted, “At least I lasted longer than the girl.”
“You got shot in the face,” Sawyer announced helpfully, pointing at the blue mark on his jaw.
“Yeah, some asshole shot me and didn’t even have the balls to show himself. Coward cunt.”
Jamming more gum into her mouth, Sawyer rolled her eyes. “Whatever you have to tell yourself.”
Lenny wanted to tell Sawyer where to stick it, but she was Kirk Johansson’s princess. Instead of storming off to lick his wounds in private, the asshole needed to punish someone.
“You think that’s funny, fuckwit?” he growled at Jace. “Better get rid of that smirk or I’ll get rid of it for you.”
Even without looking, I knew Jace wasn’t smirking. Like a turtle waiting for danger to pass, he shut down around men like Lenny. Eyes down and face devoid of emotion, Jace reacted in the same way each time and today was no exception.
Lenny smelled my brother’s fear and pounced. “Punk ass kids today,” he said, suddenly yanking Jace up by the back of his tee.
“Leave him alone!” I yelled, moving between them.